Hi all, I am a complete newb to the world of cycling/cyclocross but have decided to get into it! Please forgive my ignorance and if questions like this (i.e upcoming that is) have been posted before. If you know of other posts that answer my questions feel free to drop a link so old ground is not covered. So with out any further ado i'll commence the pondering's and questions!

For a bit of background I decided that i would like to start to ride to uni instead of drive in. Form this I started looking at entry level road bikes but I soon found myself thinking but what if I want to cross that paddock or hit that trail on the way through? So I started looking at the urban option, however once i started looking I found that i wasn't that interested in such an upright position. So back to the road bike option I went, but still a feeling of constricted freedom was haunting me. Thus I landed in the world of cyclocross! I have decided that this route would fit me best as I have some awesome national park trails nearby but I also want a relatively speedy commute to uni during the week. I am considering the following 3 bikes, I will list them with links and prices and explain my reasoning so please bear with me.

Now to the questions keeping in mind I'm as green as green gets… if i went for option 2 (the cheaper option) would I notice a significant difference between the other bikes components (the sora vs apex question?) i.e. longevity, durability etc.? or would it be worth spending the extra on option 1 or 3?

What are peoples thoughts on these three bike options in general?

Now i really do like the idea of not spending to much as I am a broke uni student, but at the end of the day with the amount ill save in fuel and gym membership I'm happy to spend some coin on something that is appealing to my sensibilities and also have gear that will see me through and not leave me wanting after a year or two when I start to know what is what. I know that the <2000 price point is not going to give me high end cyclocross, but I can't afford anymore so ill take what i can get for my price point.
Also if anyone has any experience with any of these bikes or suggestions for similar bikes please feel free to share, and like i said at the start if there are any other posts that you feel will answer some questions please provide a link.

Any assistance would be great :)

Barrettscv

01-30-14 07:59 AM

I would test ride the Sora and Apex equipped bikes. Both are good quality systems, but they operate is slightly different ways. You might like the feel of one over another. The same is true of the way these bikes fit.

Objectively, these are all very good bikes and can do the task. Small operational differences and fit preferences will determine which is better for you.